Crafting chat—10/16/2002
HGTV: Welcome to HGTV's hosted chat room. Carol Duvall is with us today to answer your questions. Hello, Carol!
Carol Duvall: Well, hi there! Before we even get started, I have to answer a question that came in our last chat. One of our viewers asked what I was going to do for Halloween, and I said, "Answer the doorbell!" It didn't dawn on me until after the chat that she was probably asking about the show! So now I can tell you that Jeen Brown makes a very cute centerpiece witch, Vivian Perritts makes a really clever haunted house, complete to ghosts and bats, and I share a couple of very clever viewer Halloween ideas. Ok, now I'm ready to start!
Question: Carol, what do you do with all of the craft items people send you—especially the ones from the taped segments, like today's glass plates, which I loved?!
Carol: Those from the artists go back to the artists. I loved them too!
Q: Carol, do you change your Christmas wrapping theme every year? What do you have planned this year?
Carol: If you're talking about what wrapping we're doing on the show, Mary O'Neil is going to show some wonderful boxes that she designed, and we'll show you clever ways to decorate them with rubber stamps and velvet, so you don't even need to giftwrap. I'll be showing (I think) my favorite directions for big bow making for big packages and for wreaths. I hope I interpreted your question correctly.
Q: I LUV your show. I have gotten very interested in "stamping" cards. Are there any magazines that are specially for stamping cards, etc?
Carol: Oh my goodness, yes! Starting with Rubber Stamp Madness, but that's only one of many. Check your local rubber stamp store. There are probably at least a half a dozen to ten monthly rubber stamp publications. Many of them are devoted strictly to cards.
Q: I would like to decorate plastic bottles for shampoo using dry flowers. What could I spray over the flowers so that they will not get damage by getting wet in the shower?
Carol: Any kind of acrylic protective coating, I would think, would work... but... you might have to put on a number of coats.
Q: Are you having a holiday show in Burbank? I emailed a month or so ago and "no answer."
Carol: Unfortunately, I have nothing to do with the reservations made for those shows. I'm sorry, I don't know where you might have emailed, whether it was to HGTV in Knoxville or whether it was the holiday workshop address... Unfortunately without more information, I can't answer your question. I'm wondering, was this the address that you tried: carollive@wellergrossman.com?
Q: Hello, Carol. I would like to make fossil leaves or fossilized leaves. Do you know how?
Carol: I don't have the slightest notion... perhaps if you ask the question on one of the bulletin boards, a crafter might have the answer. I don't even know where to suggest you look for directions, other than that.
Q: When will your 2002 holiday workshops air?
Carol: They will air on Saturday, Nov. 16, and Sunday, Nov. 17. As we mentioned, unfortunately, this year there will be just the two weekend shows, rather than the full first week in November. Although, the past workshops will re-air in the following weeks.
Q: Hi, Carol... On Oct. 8th you showed us how to make the falling down sewing box. I loved it! But you also showed a larger box of the same kind, can you tell me what size that was?
Carol: I think that was about a 5" x 7"... or 4" x 6". While we're talking, I'll look and see if I can find my directions... Found them! 5" x 7" was the overall size of each side.
Q: I have a couple of personal questions... Are you married and do you have grandchildren. Love the show!
Carol: Yes, I have grandchildren, and I'm hoping you know what the answer to the first question is, then...
Q: Carol, hello. Have you heard of a rag-rug making technique called Shirret? It' s a technique that combines crochet and shirring. It's sometimes called "rugbeee" Any chance of having it demonstrated on your show?
Carol: I'm unfamiliar with that technique, but if you can put me in touch with someone who does know how to demonstrate it, I'd be glad to have one of our producers follow up on it.
Q: Carol, Do you have info/directions on making baskets with crochet and greeting cards?
Carol: They're pretty simple. I did them on the show one time. Of course, it depends on the shape and the size of the basket, but the basic directions involve punching small holes around three sides of each piece and where they match up to each other, you crochet them together. You crochet two pieces up the sides, crochet across the top, then on the other side, join two pieces, and crochet them together. Boy, I didn't make it sound easy, did I? But you just punch holes and join with single crochet around.
Q: Carol, you have what I would consider to be my dream job. How did you come to be the queen of crafting?
Carol: Well, I'll try not to go through the entire story yet again, but basically I was in television for many years, and then started, back in the '60s, to make things. And every time I made something—and believe me, back then, the "somethings" were pretty basic, because we didn't have many craft stores—I would get great response... so I just kept making things! And that first making-things show was on every day in Detroit for 14 years. By that time, the craft industry began to grow, and by that time, I was beginning to know what I was doing...and it all just grew from there, both the television and the crafting.
Q: Where do you get the industrial strength double sided tape?
Carol: You can get it now at many craft stores, but usually you'll find it in sheets at the rubber stamp stores.
Carol: It goes by a lot of different names: Starliner, Wondertape... I forget. But if you have trouble locating it, check the HGTV website. They give you the names of a direct contact. It comes not only in sheets, but in tape widths from 1/8" wide to 1/2" wide, and 2" wide.
Q: Do you plan on offering craft information and segments on those of us who like to crochet?
Carol: We have done a number of crochet segments including a basic class in crocheting.. I hope to do more in the future.
Q: I need a hobby, do have a suggestion?
Carol: What do you enjoy doing? I don't know if any one who knows nothing about you can give any very valuable ideas... but think about what you enjoy doing, or what has possibly intrigued or interested you that you never took the time to investigate. There might be dozens of things on that list. Start to investigate! You might find something right off the bat.
Q: Are you currently taping any new segments for the show?
Carol: We finished 65 more new episodes a few weeks ago. The segments that are currently running in the 2 p.m. EST slot are all first-run shows. During the Christmas season, there will be some more new shows along with a lot of holiday reruns, but after the holidays, they will all be first-run shows again.
Q: Boy, you really have to type fast!! LOL
Carol: I know! That's why I'm not doing the typing! A lady with very nimble fingers named Tammy is sitting in an office at HGTV in Knoxville doing the typing. Julia is reading your questions to me, and I'm listening here in Michigan... and who knows where you are? Modern technology! Amazing.
Q: Do you plan to have Donna Dewberry on your show?
Carol: She's not currently scheduled—she has a pretty strong tie-in with QVC, and that may make a difference because she is so identified with them. I know she is very popular, and a lovely person.
Q: Carol, you are only having two days of your Christmas Workshop this year. Will they at least be longer?
Carol: I'm afraid not. They'll just be one hour. It's very, very, verrryy difficult trying to pick and choose... there are so many wonderful ideas coming in from our viewers that my poor producers are going crazy trying to pick one over another.
Q: Carol, Are you going to repeat any of the great segments you had on Halloween say from 4 years ago? I remember two weeks of great ideas.
Carol: The young women who are really running this website ;o) inform me that the past Halloween shows will be re-airing during the next two weeks.
Q: Carol, I love your show...how can we get more craft-oriented shows on HGTV?
Carol: Write to comments@hgtv.com
Q: Carol, what do you do back in Michigan when your not taping the show?
Carol: I work on getting ready to tape. As a matter of fact, my assistant Cheryl is arriving here next week so that we can spend a week just going through the mail, going through the Shoebox ideas, bouncing ideas of our own off of each other, and dividing up the projects that Cheryl will then go back and work on in California, and that I will work on here in Michigan. As any crafter knows, it takes a long time in preparation to complete sometimes just the simplest looking project. And we're doing things that we think of ourselves, so often we take the long way around before we get to the right way and the best way. So what do I do between shows? There's no such time as 'between shows.'
Q: Will you be showing an more Polymer Clay Santas or Angels during your Holiday Workshops?
Carol: On some of our new Christmas shows, not the Workshops but the regular shows, we do have some polymer clay Christmas things... I think Becky Meverden makes the cutest little snowman on top of a Christmas glass ball ornament with tiny cotton balls inside and a sign that says "Snowballs for sale." It's very cute! I know there are a couple of other polymer clay Christmas projects, but at the moment, my mind is a blank. I guess you'll just have to watch! On the Workshop shows, we have a couple of polymer clay segments scheduled, but no Santa Claus.
Q: Carol, my mom-in-law and I are in our first craft show this weekend. We have 80 handmade soaps, some hand-carved candles, your nylon net scrubbers, and t-shirts stamped w/bleach. What advise do you have for novice shows?
Carol: First of all, congratulations! Hard to say when I don't know the circumstances—indoors, outdoors, etc.—but these are pretty general: Have a pleasant looking display, an eye-catcher if you can. Don't put too much out at once. Be sure you wear comfortable shoes And have lots of change, because you may be making a lot of sales and smile! I used to sometimes help out when my son and daughter-in-law were starting out, and any time someone would come and look at their things and not buy, but keep on walking, I got grouchy and wanted to hit them! Don't have a face that shows that LOL! I wish you well. Congratulations!
Q: I can't wait for the Christmas shows! Will Dee Gruenig and Priscilla be on? It would be a hoot to see both of them together!
Carol: You aren't going to believe this, my dear, but that's exactly what you're going to see! They will not be in the same segment.. I would never be able to retain order on the show if that were to happen! But yes, it should be fun. I'm looking forward to it also. Julia just reminded me that means they'll also be in the same chat room that day!
Q: Where can I find beads that are not so expensive?
Carol: At the craft store, and of course, yard sales.
Q: Hi, Carol, I love your show and wanted to say you never age.
Carol: I keep having them put more Vaseline on the camera lens... LOL! Thank you for that lovely comment!
Q: I'm thrilled to see you're having Beckah Krahula as a guest. You are starting to bring a lot more talent to the show than ever before. Thank you!
Carol: You're welcome! You should be happy then—tomorrow Rebecca is going to be on again.
Q: Hi, Carol! I'd like to know what inspires you personally. Do you keep a scrapbook or file with images you like? Is there another source of your creativity?
Carol: I'm my own worst enemy on keeping files. I save everything and couldn't put my finger on a single thing. One day, I'm going to read those 30 or 40 books I have on getting organized, and I'll organize all those ideas I've been saving. Truth is, I see most of the ideas in catalogs. At least they spark the thinking in many different directions.
Q: Carol, how do you get your guest to do the shows?
Carol: Many, many companies and designers contact us and they will usually contact my producers or me at the crafts trade shows, or we will find them at the crafts trade shows. This is not true in 100 percent of the cases, but at least 90-95%. We sometimes track down people whom we read about or who viewers or other people in the craft business tell us about. There are a lot of miscellaneous ways that fill up that remaining 10 percent. Often viewers will tell us about people we should get in touch with.
Q: I have a request—when introducing a technique using a specific product, please give the product's name—sometimes I don't know what to specifically ask for at my local craft store.
Carol: You are hitting on a real sore point... I beg, I plead, I stamp my feet! Of course I want to give the name of the product, but it is a strict rule of the network that we do not mention products. They have a lot of very good reasons for this decision. But it is sometimes difficult to abide with it. However, we always do put all the information on the website—the name of the product, the name of the company, and any contact information that the company would like to have listed. So I understand your frustration, but believe me, I share it with you. In the long run, I guess it's good because it would be very easy to sound like we were just plugging products. Notice that our guests don't even say things like X-acto knife—it's always called a craft knife, or a Q-tip is a cotton swab... so it is consistent. No brand names. No free advertising.
Q: Hi! I was trying to help a friend. Can anyone advise me on what type of glue works best on felt projects?
Carol: I suppose any of the tacky white glues are probably the best. In most cases, you want one that is not going to be too readily absorbed by the felt. Depending on your project, I really would just take a couple of sample pieces of little squares of felt, glue them together with tacky glue, and see if it gives you the result you want.
Q: Why don't you do special shows for other holidays like the great Christmas ones?
Carol: I'm guessing that it's because the satellite shows are so incredibly expensive and perhaps the network feels that there wouldn't be the great interest in other holidays. I know I have suggested just doing a springtime show, or special happy days show, or whatever... going to a different location... a shopping mall in Atlanta in the spring, or something like that. So far, cost has been the big inhibitor. Obviously, that's not my decision, and I don't have to pay the bills.
HGTV: Well, everyone, our chat hour has ended. Thanks for joining us today. And thank you, Carol, for answering our questions.
Carol Duvall: It's been my pleasure! And I guess our next chat will be following the two live workshop shows, so I'll see you all then I hope! Bye!
